Because You Loved Me
by vkjashgkjhga22
Summary: After leaving the Special Victims Unit, Olivia is able to admit to her feelings for Elliot. A story about two partners finding the true spark within their relationship.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone! I've had this story idea for a while and finally began to write it. I hope you guys enjoy it, please review and let me know if you want me to continue! If I get positive feedback, I'll put up the second chapter that I already have written. Enjoy! :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Olivia sat at her desk in the dimly lit precinct. Her usually well-kept hair was a mess as she cleaned up all of her files. She was putting files of open cases into a box for Cragen when her heart stopped. Under a folder was an upside down picture frame. Picking it up and flipping it over, Olivia's eyes began to water. It was a picture of Elliot, his mother, Olivia, and her mother when they had first started working together. It was taken at a dinner to welcome the two new detectives to the job.

"I miss you, Mom," Olivia whispered, a tear rolling down her left cheek. She put the picture frame inside her bag and almost jumped when the door opened.

"Olivia, what on Earth are you still doing here?" Cragen asked. He flipped the lights on and noticed a tear on her face. "Are you alright?"

She glanced up at the man she looked at as a father. She wiped her eyes and sighed. "I don't want to leave."

"Everyone has a time to go. Look at yourself, you take all of the cases to heart and it's taking a toll on you. Elliot is always concerned about you and I don't want it to ruin how well you work together. Does Elliot know about this?" Cragen asked, sitting across from her.

"About what? Me leaving? Yeah, he's not too happy," Olivia sighed. "I guess everything is just taking its toll on me. Cragen, you know I don't want to leave. I love it here; it's like my second home. Actually, no. It's my only home. Coming to the precinct is like returning to my family after a long day. I don't know how I'm going to function without this job."

"You're still welcomed here any time and you know that. This job is no longer healthy for you, Olivia. You're not as strong mentally as you used to be, everyone knows it. You're still the stubborn yet intelligent detective, but you're just not able to mentally handle this. No one is angry at you for this, you're turning forty soon. Everyone's going to do this sometime," Cragen replied. "I can bet any amount of money that within weeks of you leaving, Elliot does too."

Olivia sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Are you going to try and find a new partner for him?"

"And do what? Try to replace you? I'd have to go through the whole world to try and find another woman that can stand him. You two had something special, you know. No one could get Elliot to talk after the divorce except you," Cragen pointed out. "And if I remember correctly, you wouldn't let anyone but Elliot see you cry after your last case."

Olivia felt tears brimming her eyes when she thought about the last case. A 16 year old girl called in after being raped by the man who raped and murdered her mother. This particular case brought sadness and anger to Olivia, but also fear. She feared that the man who raped her mother would soon attempt to rape her. No one understood that fear but Elliot and Cragen. The fear prevented her from working her hardest on cases and that was when she knew she needed to go.

"Don't worry Olivia, you're always welcomed back here," Cragen reassured her after a moment of silence. "Have you seen Elliot?"

She shook her head and closed the last drawer, "He went to the cribs but I haven't seen him in a few hours."

"Talking about me again, Olivia?" Elliot said, smirking as he walked into the room. "I see I'm a hot topic tonight."

"Olivia and I were actually just talking about her leaving, and all the good times we've had here," Cragen said. Elliot's smirk quickly turned into a frown and he looked at Olivia as she looked down. "But it is getting late and I'm getting old so I should be heading out soon."

"Don't worry about me, I'll just take a cab home," Olivia said. She handed Cragen her box of open cases and closed the other boxes lying around her table. "I'm just going to put these away and then get going."

"Don't forget the dinner tomorrow night, you know we have to end it with a bang," Cragen flashed a smile. "Goodnight Olivia, I'll see you tomorrow Elliot." Cragen left the precinct after dropping off the sealed box in his office and locking it. Olivia looked at Elliot and bit her lip.

"So I guess this is where it ends," Olivia said, breathing deeply to hold back a sob.

Elliot's eyebrows came together in confusion. "What are you talking about the end for? You think just because your life as a detective is ending, our friendship is too?"

"Well, I guess that's what I'm trying to say," Olivia blinked and a tear slipped out. "Sorry I'm getting so worked up."

"Don't apologize. I'm shocked I haven't gotten upset. Liv, you're my best friend. We're not going to separate because you're leaving. In fact, I don't plan on us ever ending," Elliot smiled. "You can't get rid of me. We're partners forever."

Olivia wiped her cheek and smiled at Elliot. "Promise me you won't find a partner as good as me?"

"Is that even questionable? There is no such thing as someone better for me than you," Elliot said. Olivia blushed as she understood the hint at the deeper meaning. "Do you have a ride home?"

"I was planning on a cab," Olivia said, putting her things together. She stood back and admired the desk that she had sat at for the past thirteen years.

"I know you hate cabs, let me take you home," Elliot insisted. "My car is much cleaner and is free."

Olivia smiled and buttoned up her coat. "Take me home then, Detective."

/-/

The car ride home was silent but not awkward. Olivia's eyes had drooped closed and Elliot's hand had scooted closer to hers, his pinky finger touching hers. Olivia, not completely asleep, could sense that he kept glancing at her every time his pinky finger got closer to hers. Eventually, his finger wrapped around hers. A bolt of electricity shot through her as their fingers interlocked. She knew he felt it too.

"Liv? We're at your house," Elliot whispered.

Olivia opened her eyes and instantly looked at their locked pinkies. She smiled. "Thanks for the ride. It meant a lot."

"I've given you a ride home before," Elliot said, laughing. "Plus, your apartment isn't that far from mine anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, after the divorce I decided I needed a place to stay. Kathy wanted the house and of course she got it, so I came to your apartment complex. There was a room opened right across the hall from you, so I took it. I've been there all week adding things, you just never saw me."

Elliot got out of his car door and opened Olivia's, helping her with her bags. They walked into the apartment complex and rode the elevator silently until they reached their floor.

"Stalking me, I see. You would pick the apartment right across from mine," Olivia teased.

He gave her a warm smile, "I've gotta have your back now that I won't see you everyday." She laughed and pulled out her keys.

"Goodnight El," She whispered.

"Night Liv. If you need me, you know where I am." He offered out a hug and Olivia accepted it. The hug was light and comforting, but it was not yet taking their feelings to the next level. The spark was there, the feelings were there, but the ability to express and confront each other about them was not. She pulled back after a couple of seconds and shyly went into her room, shutting the door after giving him a brief smile.

After taking a warm shower, Olivia laid in bed. It was now one in the morning and it was thundering and lightening. The rain hit her windows hard and she buried herself deeper and deeper under her covers, escaping the loud crashes and the bright flashes. If there was one thing Olivia hated and was legitimately scared of, it was thunderstorms. Not many knew that about her, but it was true. After an extremely loud thunder boom, Olivia whimpered to herself and squeezed her eyes shut. There was a knock at her door and her eyes widened. She grabbed the baseball bat that rested under her bed and tip-toed to the door.

"Liv, it's me."

Olivia jumped a foot in the air at the thunder and quickly opened the door.

"Are you okay? I know how much these scare you. I woke up and wanted to check on you," Elliot whispered, still very tired.

Olivia placed her bat down and shook her head, folding her arms around herself. "I really don't like these."

"May I come in?"

"Of course, sorry," Olivia apologized. "Do you want some water or something? Here, sit on the couch and I'll put on the TV."

Elliot obeyed her orders and sat down as she filled cups with water. After sitting down on the couch, she pulled a blanket around herself. Another thunder boomed and she winced as the bright lights from the lightening lit up her room.

"You really don't like these," Elliot chuckled.

"It's not funny, Stabler. I'm really freaked out," Olivia huffed. She turned on the TV. The pair sat in silence, excluding the soft whimpers as thunder hit, and watched TV. Olivia felt her eyes getting woozy, but a loud pop caused her eyes to open wide. "What was that?"

"The power went out, nothing big. Do you have any candles?" Elliot asked. He turned his phone on for a light source. "Here, take my phone and go look for some candles."

Olivia nodded and looked down shyly. "Can you come with me? I'm scared."

"Yes I will," Elliot smiled and placed his hand on her lower back. The two walked to her kitchen and grabbed a candle out of her cabinet.

"Sorry I only have one, I'm not much of a candle person," Olivia apologized bashfully. "Hopefully it'll work…" They walked back to the couch and lit it on the coffee table in front of them. Olivia could now see Elliot's face and her heart skipped a beat. After all the sappy romance novels she has read, she never understood why candle-lit rooms were so romantic, but now she got it.

"Wow," Elliot breathed.

"Wow what?" Olivia asked softly.

"You look stunning in this lighting," Elliot admitted, brushing hair out of her eyes.

"How are the kids?" Olivia said, looking down at his previous comment.

"They're good. Lizzie and Dickie went to college, Maureen's engaged, Kathleen is almost done with her masters and Eli is graduating middle school soon," Elliot replied, smiling. Olivia loved how proud he was of his kids.

"I bet you're proud," Olivia sighed. "I wish I had a child."

Elliot nodded his head. "When you get the chance to have one, you'll love it so much."

Olivia grinned at his soft side and let out a yawn.

"Come on, we gotta get you to go to sleep. Do you want to go to bed or stay on the couch?" Elliot asked.

"I'm gonna go lay in bed, are you okay with the couch or do you want to sleep in my bed and I'll take the couch?" Olivia asked.

Elliot shook his head and helped Olivia stand up. "I'll take the couch, no worries." She closed her eyes and yawned before walking back to her bed. She laid down under the warm covers and saw Elliot lay on the couch. He blew out the candle.

"Goodnight, Olivia," Elliot said.

"Goodnight, Elliot."

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><p><em>So what did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Review please! <em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everyone reading this! This is basically just a filler chapter before I get to the dinner chapter, which I plan to make longer than the first chapter. I originally was going to include it in this chapter, but then this chapter would be incredibly too long. So, I decided to post this one now. _

_Please review! I love hearing comments about my stories and I'd love to hear some suggestions! :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

The next morning Olivia woke up and smelt bacon and eggs instantly. She sat up in bed and wiped her eyes free of sleep. There he was, standing in his boxers and wife beater, cooking breakfast. There were two plates set on her small kitchen table with two cups of orange juice.

"Well good morning, sleepy head!" Elliot smiled.

"What time is it?" Olivia mumbled.

"10:30," Elliot replied. "Perfect time for bacon and eggs!"

"You didn't have to do all of this," Olivia said, getting out of bed. "Did you turn my alarm off? I had it set for 6:30."

"Yes as a matter of fact, I did turn it off. You're not working today and you had it set for 6:30, you're insane. You needed to sleep, especially after being up so late with the storm," Elliot reminded her. Olivia blushed as she recalled what happened under the candle light. The gestures were small but stood for something much bigger.

Olivia sat down in a chair and sipped the orange juice. "Thank you for coming last night."

"Anything for you," Elliot smiled again.

Olivia's heart stopped at the sweet comment. The thought of Elliot having feelings for her was bizarre and she knew that she needed to stop acting like a teenager. She felt her cheeks heating up at the thought of him kissing her. _Damn it, Olivia, stop it. You're embarrassing yourself!_ She thought to herself.

"Here you go," Elliot said, placing bacon and eggs on her plate. "So, I called Alex. You two are going shopping for tomorrow's dinner party for you. Don't even start to protest because the whole dinner is going to be about you. You have to look your best."

"Elliot, I don't have money with me or anything… how am I supposed to purchase a beautiful gown?" Olivia sighed. "I'll just stay home and pamper myself."

He pulled out his wallet and handed her two hundred dollars. "I know it's not much, but I want you to take this and find something you really love."

"I can't accept this, El…"

"Please?" He grinned at her and sipped his orange juice. "Come on, you know you want to."

"Fine," Olivia smiled. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem," Elliot pushed his chair back and stood up. "Now, unlike you, I have work to attend. I will see you tonight; have a good day, Liv."

"You too!" Olivia shouted as he walked out of her apartment. She showered quickly and headed out to meet up with Alex at the mall.

/-/

Olivia and Alex had walked the streets of New York until they landed in front of a store called Little Black Dress. The two entered the store and headed straight towards the racks.

"So…" Alex began. "You and Elliot?"

"Are just friends," Olivia finished her statement. "But…"

"There's a but?" Alex asked, grinning. "You must tell."

"Last night, I was packing up at the precinct and he told me that there is no one better for him than me. Then he offers to drive me home and it turns out he now lives across the hall from me," Olivia blushed when she saw Alex's eyebrows rise. "There was a storm last night, and he came over to check on me. The power ended up going out and so I lit a candle…"

Alex squealed. "Isn't that the most romantic lighting ever?"

"Be quiet! You're acting like a teenager," Olivia scolded her friend. "He told me I looked stunning in the lighting and then I fell asleep. I woke up to him cooking me breakfast. It all felt so right; I mean, waking up to him in my house feels right. It was nice."

Alex smiled at how her best friend was acting. After knowing Olivia for 13 years, she knew that Olivia never revealed her feelings. "Do you want to be with him?"

"I guess I do," Olivia blushed at the thought. "God, I'm getting all worked up. I want to take it very slowly, though. I don't want to rush anything. That's why I want to find the perfect dress…"

Alex held up a beautiful black dress to Olivia. "I think we might've gotten super lucky."

After trying on the dress, Olivia knew she had to purchase it. There was a slit across the top of her chest and the back exposed her shoulder blades sexily. Alex had handed her a pair of black heels to try on with the dress and it all worked well together.

"Do you think it's possible to find the dress you want in the first try?" Olivia asked as they were ringing up the dress and shoes.

"Yeah, I'm like that with all my dresses," Alex smiled. "You're never going to guess who asked me to save a dance for them."

"Who?" Olivia asked, grabbing the bags off the counter.

"John," Alex laughed. "He's the complete opposite of me, but I actually like it. He's a real gentleman and I'm really excited."

Olivia grinned. "I hope Elliot likes this."

"I promise you he will," Alex smiled.

The two headed back to Alex's house to get ready for the night. Olivia curled her long hair and straightened her bangs after taking a warm shower. She applied minimal makeup to her naturally pretty face. Alex curled her hair as well but put up a bit more makeup than Olivia. It was now 6:30, and dinner was at seven.

"Are you almost ready?" Alex asked.

Olivia walked out nervously and subconsciously was pulling her dress down. "It's a little short."

"Don't worry! It's sexy, Elliot will love it," Alex winked.

"What the hell has gotten into us?" Olivia laughed, putting on her lipstick. "We're acting like girls, not women."

"Oh shut up," Alex said. "You need to enjoy these feelings! You love him, he loves you. It's exciting to know that!"

Olivia grabbed her clutch and stepped out of Alex's house. "Let's go!"

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><p><em>Not that good of a chapter, I understand. BUT it is just a filler, remember that! Please review, thanks! :)<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey! It's 11:02 PM and I just finished writing this chapter, woo! I would've updated sooner but I was out all day getting stuff for my Floriday vacation! I'm only going for six days though, so if I don't update, that's why. Here's the next chapter! Review please :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

It was 7:15 by the time Olivia and Alex had arrived at the restaurant. She gasped as she noticed she was standing in front of one of the most extravagant and expensive restaurants in Manhattan. Her heart pounded as she saw Elliot dressed in black dress pants, a black dress shirt and a silver tie. All of her friends were there and she turned to Alex.

"I'm going in first," Alex insisted. "You're the guest of honor, so make your entrance wise. I'll introduce you."

"Alex no!" Olivia protested, but Alex was already inside. She heard her voice loud and clear from outside the restaurant.

"Attention everyone!" Alex hollered. "Olivia has now arrived, if everyone would please sit down as she comes in."

Olivia walked in the door shaking her head at Alex and accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter. "Thank you everybody, this is really unnecessary." She made her way to the large table in the back of the room which seated all of her friends. There was one head of the table with a chair reserved for Olivia. Elliot was standing next to the chair closest to Olivia's seat. She smiled at him and he gave her a wink causing her to blush. She made her way to the back room and sat down after Elliot pulled the chair out for her.

"You look beautiful," Elliot said, kissing her on the cheek.

"You look very handsome," Olivia smiled back at him. "If this is going to be a night full of speeches and memories, I'm going to cry."

He chuckled and sipped his beer. "I think you'll cry at what I wrote."

"El, don't you dare!" Olivia warned.

Cragen appeared at Olivia's side. "Liv, you look very nice."

"Thanks Don," she said. She stood up and gave her father-figure a hug.

"Elliot hasn't stopped talking about you," Don whispered. "He has been very excited to see you."

Olivia blushed and pulled out of the hug and laughed. "I didn't need to know that!"

Cragen took the seat to Olivia's left and sat down. The waiter came and took their orders. Olivia had ordered a lobster tail over angel haired pasta with a garden salad. She drank her bubbling champagne and her eyes watered up as memories were being flung across the table.

"What about when Olivia left?" Munch brought up. "Who else wanted to shoot the person who made her go?"

"I made myself go!" Olivia laughed.

Elliot's face turned into a frown. "That was the lousiest time of my life."

Olivia smirked and sipped her drink. "I'm sure Dani Beck wouldn't be happy if she heard that."

Fin let out a loud laugh. "How do you feel now, Stabler?"

"Shut it, Fin. Liv, you know she wasn't anything like you."

"That's why you kissed her, right?" Olivia asked teasingly. "I'm joking."

The food came and the dinner part of the party had been over for ten minutes until Cragen decided to make a brief speech. Olivia had tears in her eyes already as Cragen stood up and coughed to grab everyone's attention.

"We have all gathered here tonight to celebrate the past thirteen years of Olivia's career as a detective. Not only was she one of the best female detectives on the squad, she was the only one who was able to put up with the rage of the perps and her own partner." The group laughed. "Olivia stepped into our precinct with a brave face knowing she would get the job. She has proved herself to our unit and the rest of the police department. Olivia was a hard worker. She never missed a day unless she was throwing up. She would come into work sick and only left when I commanded her to. She followed her gut instinct, even if it disagreed with my orders. Usually, though, she would always be right."

Olivia's eyes watered up faster and faster as his speech progressed. Elliot placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed it softly in comfort.

"This woman has become a daughter to me. There have been times when I was too scared to send her out on a case because I did not want to risk her life. I have been there countless times for Olivia when she needed me, and she has been there for me. I guard her life with my own and would do anything to keep her safe. I intend on keeping myself in your life, Olivia. Even though you are not apart of the Special Victims Unit any longer, you are always in my heart," Cragen completed. There were tears in his eyes as Olivia stepped up and gave him a long hug.

"I love you, Olivia. You truly are the daughter I never had," Cragen said into her ear.

"I love you too," she paused and added, "Daddy."

Cragen pulled back and smiled brightly at the girl he watched grow. "Does anyone else have anything to say?" This caused Elliot to stand up and Olivia and Cragen sat down.

Elliot took a deep breath before beginning his speech. "So, I actually had written out a speech to say but I left the paper at home, so I'm going to wing it."

Olivia swallowed her nerves and looked up at him.

"The day Olivia was assigned to be my partner, I honestly wanted to shoot Cragen. I had already had three female partners and they all left because they complained about me being too violent. But when she walked through the door, I knew it'd be different. She had this look on her face like she was going to kill the first person who aggravated her. I liked that. I could tell she was tough and wouldn't put up with any bullshit. Still to this day, Olivia's that way." Elliot laughed. "The first few cases were tough on us. I was used to bossing my partners around, and Olivia didn't put up with that. She saw my angry side within a few days and she wasn't scared. She actually helped me stay calm during interrogations where I wanted to choke someone to death. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for Olivia, I'd probably be in jail for murder." Everyone laughed at the true statement.

"Despite all of the times Olivia saved my ass, she supported me too. No matter how wrong she thought it was for me to go back to Kathy after all the shit she put me through, she supported me. No matter how much I was angry, she took my side, but helped me see what everyone else saw. I could never repay her for saving my ex-wife's life, or my son's. If it wasn't for her, I would've been single along time ago and I wouldn't have Eli. I am forever grateful for this amazing, God-sent partner." Elliot offered his hand out to Olivia. "Liv, can you come here?"

Olivia's eyes widened and she put her wine glass down, accepting Elliot's hand. She stood in front of him and looked him in the eyes.

"I owe you so much Liv, and I don't know how to even begin to tell you how thankful I am that you have been in my life. I feel blessed to have you in my life, and I never want to let that go. You are my best friend and picturing you gone is like looking at a blank painting. It's useless and has no purpose. It's empty. I plan to keep you in my life, but I have already told you that. I wish I could form my words better, but I am just completely thankful for you. I'm going to miss having a partner as smart, funny, interesting, and as beautiful as you are. It's been a great thirteen years with you, Olivia Benson." Elliot completed his speech with a long hug and a kiss on her cheek.

Olivia felt a few tears roll down her face and she quickly wiped them away. "Thank you so much El. That was so sweet."

Elliot smiled. "I told you I'd make you cry."

"Asshole," Olivia teased.

The night continued on with laughter, tears and memories. There had been a few dances exchanged between Cragen and Olivia, Munch and Olivia, and Munch and Alex. Olivia sat down at the table and took a drink of water.

"Liv, would you care to dance?" Elliot asked, offering his hand.

Olivia smiled and slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers. Breathe by Faith Hill was playing and Olivia felt Elliot's hand on her lower back as their other hands were held close to their bodies. Her right hand was placed on his shoulder and she looked up at him.

"What you said was really sweet," Olivia said. "It really meant a lot."

"Well it better have meant a lot because it was all true." Elliot said, kissing her forehead softly. "I'm really going to miss you Olivia."

"God, El, I'm going to miss you too. You don't understand. The squad was the only thing somewhat close to a family in my life. I'm going to fall apart."

"No you won't," Elliot said softly. "You'll still have me, and you know that."

Olivia swallowed a lump in her throat and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't think I've ever cried this much in my life."

"Hey, it's okay to show emotion sometimes," he teased. "We don't need you being a rock when you're leaving."

"This night has been perfect," Olivia said placing her head on his chest. "All thanks to you."

"Me?" Elliot asked. "It wasn't all my doing. All of us did it because we love you."

Olivia sighed deeply and swayed with Elliot to the music. It was nearly midnight when the restaurant had cleared out. Olivia and Elliot had taken a cab back to their apartment complex and the two rode the elevator up in a comfortable silence.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Olivia whispered tiredly.

"I did too," Elliot said, walking back to their apartments. They stopped in front of Olivia's door and looked up at each other. "Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?" Elliot asked, softly. He reached up to tuck a curl behind her ear and let his hand rest on her cheek, stroking it softly.

"Mhm," Olivia sighed at his touch.

At her agreement, Elliot slowly closed his eyes after he saw her eyes close softly. He leaned in and closed the distance between their lips. He felt the walls of partnership and marriage crumble as their lips moved in rhythm. Elliot softly moved his tongue against her bottom lip, asking for an entrance. She granted and opened her mouth slightly to let him in. Elliot moved his hands to around her waist and pulled her close to him as she rested her hands on his chest. Olivia broke the kiss and rested her nose against his.

"Do you want to stay the night?" She asked softly.

"More than anything, Liv."

Olivia opened her apartment and turned on a light. She let Elliot in and slipped off her heels. "If you'd like to shower, you can do it at your place and then just come back. I'm going to take a shower."

"I'll be back soon," Elliot kissed her once more and went back to his room. Olivia closed the door after him and let out a breath.

"What just happened?"

/-/

After showering, Elliot and Olivia sat on her couch kissing softly and slowly, enjoying the feeling of being connected. The kisses were full of years of passion and love. Olivia was now laying down on the couch as Elliot hovered over her, sucking lightly on her neck.

"El? El, we're not having sex tonight." Olivia said, forcefully.

"I know, too soon." Elliot muttered against her neck. She shivered under his touch and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back.

"I think we've done enough, right?" Olivia asked, cautiously.

"What are you worrying about?" Elliot asked. "We're not partners anymore. I thought you…?" He trailed off, confused.

Olivia shook her head and adjusted her shirt properly. "I know, but we need to take this slow. Okay?"

Elliot nodded and breathed deeply. "Let me just tell you, I am amazed. You are much better than Kathy, I swear."

A small smile appeared on Olivia's face. "Really?"

"I promise." He kissed her forehead gently. "What do you want to do then?"

"I'm not sure," Olivia said. "I'm actually really tired. I think I'm going to go to bed. You can watch some TV if you'd like."

Elliot stood up after her. "What if I want to lay in bed with you? Can I do that?"

Olivia blushed and nodded. She turned off the lights and crawled under her bed. She felt Elliot lift the covers and slide underneath them.

"Is this okay?" Elliot asked as he lay on his side, draping his arm over Olivia's stomach.

"Yeah," Olivia said quietly. Elliot pulled her close to him and kissed her. She instantly parted her lips and their tongues softly battled. Elliot slid his hands underneath her shirt and rested on her belly, rubbing circles with his fingers. She placed her hands on both sides of his face and attempted to pull him closer. His hands inched farther up Olivia's shirt and she pulled away.

"Are you okay?" Elliot asked.

She nodded and rolled back over, closing her eyes.

"We're rushing things," Olivia said softly. "I'm sorry."

Elliot sighed. "I understand, and I'm sorry. I just… can't stop. You're so perfect. You know I care a lot about you, right?"

"I'd hope so," Olivia laughed quietly.

"Well, I do. A lot. And I want to have a future with you, Olivia. I hope you're okay with that," Elliot said softly into her ear. He pulled her close to him and rested his head on the pillow behind her. His nose was nested in her hair and he inhaled her vanilla scent.

"I am one hundred percent okay with that Elliot," Olivia smiled to herself. "I just want to take it slow."

"If slow is what the lady wants, slow is what the lady gets," Elliot said.

"Thank you," Olivia muttered. She tilted her head over and placed a kiss under Elliot's chin.

"Goodnight beautiful," Elliot whispered. He kissed the back of her head and pulled her even closer than she already was. The two fell into a deep sleep that for once felt right.

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><p><em>Let me know what you think! Review :)<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey! This chapter was really fun to write, I kinda used my imagination. I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to review :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Olivia and Elliot had become obviously closer over the past week. He had spent every moment he could with her at her apartment or out on a date. Olivia woke up one morning, expecting to see Elliot next to her, but he was gone. Instead, there was a single rose and a letter in his place.

_Happy Valentines Day, gorgeous. Follow the flower petals to find your next note. I can't wait to see you. Love, El_.

Olivia scratched her head in confusion and kicked off her covers. She found red and white flower petals leading to her bathroom, and doing as the letter said, she followed them. When she arrived into the bathroom, there was some soap and another letter. She smelt the soap and smiled at the vanilla scent that filled her nose. She picked up the next note.

_Well, this one wasn't too hard to find. Take a nice shower and get ready. Then, go out of your apartment and into the elevator. After you get to the lobby, stop by and talk to the old man at the door. He has your next clue. Love, El._

Olivia shook her head and inwardly cursed him off. He knew how much she hated surprises, and part of her wanted to call him up and tell him she wasn't doing this. The other part of her told her to go along with it and enjoy it. She quickly showered and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She got dressed and put on some boots before heading out into the elevator. At the door, she saw a man holding a white piece of paper.

"Hi, did someone give you a note to give me?" Olivia asked the old man.

"Yes, here you go. That sure is one lucky fella," he responded. "Enjoy your day."

"Thank you," Olivia grinned. She headed out into the snowy streets of New York and unfolded the piece of paper.

_This next clue involves you going to the nearest café. Tell the woman at the cashier that you are Olivia Benson. She will lead you to the person with your next clue. You might be surprised at who it is. Love, El._

Olivia stopped walking. She had passed the nearest café already. She turned around and entered the café that she had originally passed. Walking straight back, she introduced herself to the cashier. The cashier pointed her to a blonde sitting with her back towards Olivia.

"Maureen?" Olivia asked.

"Liv!" She grinned. "How are you?"

Olivia sat down. "I'm good! Your father is sending me on this wild goose chase; I hate these types of things."

"You're a detective, you should be used to it," Maureen giggled. "I suppose you want your next clue?"

"You bet," Olivia laughed.

Maureen handed her a piece of paper.

"Dad really cares about you," Maureen said before Olivia opened it. "He never did this for Mom."

Olivia blushed and opened the letter. _I hope Maureen isn't talking your ear off. Was that a nice surprise? She loves you to death. To find your next letter, sit on the bench with the old lady. She'll tell you a story and then hand you your letter. Love, El._

"Maureen, he's sending me to some old lady so I can hear a story. This is absurd!"

"Appreciate it," Maureen smiled. "He's never this nice."

"Well, I'm off to find my next clue. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"You bet. Bye Liv!" Maureen called after her as she left the café.

Olivia walked out of the café and quickly scanned benches for a lone old lady. She saw her sitting down across the street. After checking both ways, Olivia crossed the street.

"Hi, I'm Olivia Benson," she greeted softly.

"Hello," the lady responded. "I'm supposed to tell you a story, correct?"

Olivia nodded and sat down next to her.

"When I was fourteen, I met a boy. I began dating him when I was fifteen. We lasted quite a while for some teenagers. We fought a lot, almost every day. I swore I loved him, I promised myself he was my first love. We went to college and we went our separate ways," the lady sighed. "When I was twenty two, I walked into a café. There he was. He was there, alone, just like I had been. He was sipping coffee, reading the newspaper. I avoided him at first; I had no clue what I would say to him. I had imagined that moment for the longest time, but I never imagined it happening. I was adding sugar to my tea when he approached me. From that day on, we've been together."

"Wow," Olivia smiled. "That's so romantic."

"Don't search for the one you love, let the one you love search for you. This boy who has you running around crazy cares a lot about you, darling. He may not act like it at times, and he might have been married for years and had five kids with his ex-wife, but he cares about you. This man… his name is Elliot Stabler. He's also my son," the old lady smiled. "I'm very honored to meet you, Olivia."

Olivia's eyes widened. "I'm just as honored to meet you. Elliot has said so much about you, you seem like an incredible woman."

"Well thank you, dear. Now that I've told you my story, it's time to let you go back to creating yours. Good luck." Elliot's mother got up and walked away, smiling at everyone she passed. Olivia grabbed the white piece of paper that was now sitting in her spot.

_I love my mother, and I hope you do too. You'd be a perfect mom. To get your next clue, go to the place you consider your home. Love, El._

Without a second thought, Olivia took a cab to the precinct. She headed up the elevator and into the squad room. Cragen, Fin and Munch were all there, sitting with a poster.

"What the hell is happening?" Olivia asked, shaking her head. "You guys are apart of this too?"

"You bet," Fin smirked. "Flip it over." They flipped the poster over and there was an arrow pointing towards the interrogation rooms.

"I swear, if someone is interrogating me, I'm going to flip out," Olivia said sternly. She entered the first room on her left and Alex was sitting there.

"Isn't this the cutest thing ever Liv? He seriously is trying so hard to win you over!" Alex gushed. "Here's your next clue. Open it!"

"Calm down," Olivia laughed. She opened the letter. _Go to the park down the street. Don't kill anyone if they follow you, they just want to see your final gift. Love, El._

Her stomach churned. "Oh no."

"What does it say?" Alex asked, peering over her shoulder. "Let's go!"

"You're more excited than I am," Olivia shook her head and headed out of the room.

She noticed Cragen, Fin, Munch and Alex all following her as she entered the elevator. They got into a different one, but still were following Olivia. She exited the precinct and headed to the park across the street. There were couples holding hands walking on the cleared pathway, there were kids building snowmen, and then there was Elliot. He was standing in the center of the snow covered garden with a bouquet of roses. There was a white letter attached to it. Olivia's heart pounded as she walked over to him. Silently, Elliot handed her the white letter.

_Look in my eyes. Love, El._

Taking a deep breath, Olivia looked up into his bright blue eyes. They were bluer today, probably because of the white snow all around him. She could see the white puffs coming out with his breath.

"I'm in love with you, Olivia. If you haven't noticed, I want to wake up in your arms everyday for the rest of my life. I'm willing to be there for you through everything. I'm willing to take it as slow as you want, but if I could, I'd be proposing to you right now. I'm going to work so hard to show you I love you, and I want to be with you forever. I love you Liv, and since we're taking this slow, I just want to know right now if you feel the same way about me."

Olivia felt her eyes watering as she nodded. "I do, very much."

He smiled and embraced her tightly, kissing her hair repeatedly. "You just made me so happy, I love you so much."

"I love you too," Olivia whispered, pulling back. She leaned in and kissed him softly. He pulled away and handed her the roses.

"This might be cliché, but I will love you till every single one of these roses die," Elliot said.

"Flowers die awfully fast," Olivia said, confused. "What are you trying to say?"

Elliot's eyes widened. "No! I'm not trying to say what you think I'm trying to say. Feel each flower."

Olivia looked up at him with confusion but did as she was told. She felt each rose and looked up at him in bewilderment as she came across a rose that felt different.

"What's wrong with this one?"

"It's fake, which means it never dies. Therefore, I will never stop loving you," Elliot said softly.

Interrupting the moment, Alex let out a loud aw. Olivia turned around and laughed at her usually serious friend. Elliot wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek gently before whispering that he loved her again. She turned back around and faced him.

"This has been the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. From seeing your daughter and meeting your mother, I'm so shocked in the best way possible. I love you, El. Thank you for everything," Olivia said, looking into his eyes.

"You don't need to thank me, baby," Elliot said quietly. "I did it because I love you. I know Maureen might've said I didn't do this for Kathy, and that's true. I didn't do it for her because I didn't love her like I love you."

Olivia kissed him once more before giving him a long hug.

"I have something else to give you tonight," El whispered in her ear. "I'll be at your place by seven, okay?"

"Okay," Olivia said. "I guess you need to go back to work?"

"Unfortunately," Elliot sighed, pulling out of the hug. "Cragen let me do all this, but now it's time to crack some cases."

Olivia pouted. "I'll see you at home then."

"I love you," Elliot smiled. "I'm never going to stop saying it now that I can."

"I don't think I'll ever want to stop hearing it," Olivia kissed him. "Go work."

/-/

It was 7:05 when Elliot walked into the house. "I'm so sorry I'm late Liv. Cragen had me on the phone with Huang and I lost track of time. I'm so sorry."

Olivia laughed. "It's okay; I understand your job completely. I'm not Kathy."

"Thank goodness," Elliot teased. "What's this?"

"Chicken parmesan. I figured that it's the least I could do for you after today," Olivia shrugged.

"It's perfect baby," Elliot kissed her forehead and sat down.

"Would you like wine?" Olivia asked, pulling out two wine glasses.

"Yes please," Elliot smiled and looked at Olivia. She was perfection to him in every single way possible. "I love you."

Olivia stopped pouring wine and placed his glass in front of him. "I love you too."

They ate their dinner in a comfortable silence, exchanging glances every now and then. Olivia put the dishes in the sink and stood behind Elliot, giving him a brief massage.

"I'm going to shower, would you care to join me?" She asked.

"Is that even a question?" Elliot asked, smirking. "I'd love to."

He kissed her lips passionately before heading off to the bathroom and starting the shower. Olivia sighed and smiled. She could get used to this.

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><p><em>Well? What did you think? Review :)<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm literally an idiot, haha. I was re-reading my chapter that I posted and I had mentioned him having another gift for her that he'd give at home, but I never wrote about it! So this is a really short chapter that I wrote out really fast. _

_Oh, and if you'd like to see pictures of the gift, go to my profile!_

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><p>After a long shower, Olivia and Elliot were laying in her bed watching television. He was holding her close to him, running his fingers through her damp hair. She was in one of his shirts and her pajama pants, while he was only wearing plaid pants. He kissed her head softly.<p>

"I like this a lot," Olivia admitted, tracing circles on his chest. "It feels right."

"I couldn't agree more," Elliot smiled. "I never gave you the second part of your present."

"Because it's not necessary, El. You've done more than enough," Olivia said.

Elliot stood up, ignoring her protesting and went over to where his jacket was. He pulled out a small box and took a deep breath. Walking over to Olivia, he knelt down at her bedside and handed her the box.

"Elliot, this can't be…" Olivia began, shaking her head.

"No, it's not. Just open it," Elliot said.

Olivia carefully peeled away the red wrapping paper that Elliot had wrapped himself. The teal box was fuzzy in her palm and she took a deep breath before opening the case. Inside was a beautiful diamond heart with a tiny key in the right corner.

"I picked it out because ever since I met you, you've had the key to my heart. Not Kathy, not my children, but you," Elliot explained quietly.

"This must have cost you a fortune," Olivia said. "It's completely unnecessary…"

"No, Liv, it's not. You deserve to be given whatever you want," he replied.

"How much was this?" Olivia asked.

"That, my love, I am not sharing with you," Elliot smirked. "Do you want me to put it on?"

"Yes please," Olivia asked shyly. Elliot moved the hair away from her neck and hung the necklace carefully around it. He gave her a kiss there which sent chills down her spine. He clasped the necklace and brushed her hair back, giving her chills.

"It's beautiful," Olivia said, grasping it lightly.

"It makes you look even more beautiful than you already are, which I personally thought was impossible," Elliot said, smiling.

"Shut up and kiss me you fool," Olivia smirked and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

/-/

The next morning, Elliot woke up and looked at the naked beauty next to him. He traced the outline of her face with his finger as he gazed longingly at her. It wasn't like himself to be like this, he never showed this much love to Kathy. They slept strictly on their sides of the bed, they didn't hold each other. After making love to Olivia, he held her close to him and whispered sweet nothings into her ear until she fell asleep. His heart pounded when he thought of how beautiful she was, and how happy he was to have her be his.

"I love you," Elliot whispered, kissing her neck softly. He got out of bed after sliding on boxers and began to cook breakfast for Olivia. He made pancakes in the shapes of hearts and turned around when he heard Olivia calling his name.

"El," Olivia called.

"Yes?" He asked, walking over to where she was laying.

"I can't move," she pouted.

"Are you sore?" Elliot asked, concerned. She nodded.

"I'm so sorry if I hurt you. What can I get you?"

Olivia bit her lip. "Can you bring me Tylenol? Oh, and some of those pancakes you're making."

"Anything for you," Elliot kissed her forehead before going back to the kitchen to get what she asked for. He came back with her food on a little tray with a cup of orange juice.

He sat next to her and ate his own breakfast.

"So last night…" Olivia said, quietly.

Elliot put his drink down before he even got the chance to take a drink. "We made love."

"Do you still feel the same way about me?" Olivia asked.

"Yes."

"Okay," she replied. She went back to eating, which made Elliot confused. He knew that by the way she was acting that she didn't want to talk. He kissed her cheek before eating more of his breakfast. He finished before her and put his plates in the sink before going back to Olivia.

"I'm going in the shower," he said.

"Okay," Olivia responded.

"I love you," Elliot said.

"You too," Olivia replied. She put her tray on the floor, rolled over in bed, and closed her eyes. Elliot showered and came out to see Olivia with her eyes closed. Instantly, he was concerned. He went back to his apartment to get a change of clothes, and then came back to see her out of bed. He heard the shower running and sighed. She was pushing him away.

Elliot sat on the couch and waited for her to come out of the shower. When she did, she looked sad. Her face was red and blotchy, along with her eyes. She walked slowly into her kitchen and poured herself some coffee. Elliot noticed a tear roll down her face. He stayed seated, knowing that if she wanted to talk, she would. She wiped her eye and sat next to Elliot on the couch. She held her coffee close to her. Silently, he handed her the remote for the TV and she turned on the news.

The two sat in silence and watched the news for a half hour. Not a word was spoken and Elliot was hurt. He kept looking over at Olivia who looked even more sad than when he last looked at her, which wasn't long ago.

"Olivia, talk to me," Elliot said.

She turned and looked at him with a blank expression on her face.

"Okay, or I'll do the talking. What are you scared of Liv? Me? Us? Tell me what you're scared of so I can figure out what's wrong," Elliot begged.

"Losing you," she whispered.

Elliot took her coffee cup and put it on the table before embracing her tightly.

"I thought I made everything so clear yesterday, baby. I put you on a hunt just so I could tell you I loved you in a romantic way. I gave you a beautiful necklace. Liv, I made love to you. You have every piece of me. Is that what scares you? That you don't want to lose me now that you have me?" He felt her nod against his chest. "Well, I can promise you one thing. If anyone leaves this relationship, it'd be you because I'm not giving up what I have. I have the perfect woman in front of me, and I am not going to be stupid enough to throw that away. Do you believe me?"

Olivia pulled her head back and nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I just don't want you to push me away in fear of losing me. You won't lose me," Elliot promised, kissing her gently. "I love you with my whole heart and I mean that."

"I love you too," Olivia said. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's okay. We're going to overcome everything, I promise."

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><p><em>Reviews are appreciated! :)<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey guys! I'm back :) This might be a bad chapter because I had no inspiration... I re-wrote it about ten times, all with different ideas and I guess I liked this one the best. I kinda needed some drama, and a bit of foreshadowing soooo here you go! :) Review please!_

_OH and to the person who left this wonderful review: _**_"Don't bother updating. This sucks. ha ha ha _****_Dick Wolfe even said it. Elliot loves Kathy and always will. ha ha ha ha ha _****_They should have killed Olivia then it would have been perfect. _****_Die Bitch Die!" _**_I actually laughed out loud because you are the only person who has left a nasty review. Congrats! I'm not gonna stop writing, get over it._

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><p>It was now April, and the weather was warm. The couple had been going strong and taking the relationship very seriously. Today, Elliot and Olivia were driving to Queens for Eli's fourteenth birthday. The windows were rolled down halfway and Elliot's hand held Olivia's.<p>

"I can't believe he's fourteen," Elliot sighed. "I remember when he was born."

"Me too, I was there," Olivia laughed. "I swear El, if Kathy gives me one dirty look…"

Elliot laughed, reached up and kissed her hand. "She won't. You saved her life and our kids. He wouldn't be having a birthday party if it wasn't for you."

"You and Kathy wouldn't be divorced if it wasn't for me either," Olivia said.

Elliot turned his car into Kathy's driveway. "Liv, we didn't get divorced because of you. I thought you already knew that."

Olivia sighed. "I still feel guilty."

"Don't baby," Elliot reached over and kissed her cheek before taking his keys out of the ignition. "Let's go."

Olivia got out of the car and held his hand. The two walked through the white gate and Elliot's face instantly glowed when he saw his five children sitting together at a table. He walked over to them and kissed his daughters on their heads and patted his sons on their shoulders.

"Don't be stupid," Kathy scolded her children. "Greet your father properly."

Maureen was the first one to get up and hug her father. Kathy and Lizzie followed, and shortly after so did Eli and Dickie.

"Olivia, how are you?" Kathleen asked, smiling at the lady she considered a second mom.

"I'm great! How about you?" Olivia replied.

"We're all really great," Maureen said.

Elliot tilted his head down towards Olivia's ear and kissed it gently. "I'm going to the bathroom," he whispered. "I'll be right back."

Olivia nodded in response to that and took a seat with the girls.

"So," Lizzie grinned. "You and Dad?"

"Is it obvious?"

"Other than the fact you held hands when you walked in, no," Maureen said. "How long?"

"Since February," Olivia smiled.

Kathleen awed out loud. "Has he been better to you than he was to Mom?"

"I don't really know what his relationship with Kathy way, but he is treating me very well," Olivia said. "Trust me, I wouldn't take any bullshit from him."

Dickie laughed, coming into their conversation. "Dad is so whipped."

Kathy sent a hard glance to Olivia. "Kids, why don't you get Olivia some food?"

Elliot came back with two plates in his hand. "I'm afraid that won't be necessary, Kath. I've got her favorites right now."

"I could have helped myself," Olivia said, accepting the food. "Thank you though."

"You're very welcome," Elliot kissed her on the cheek.

Kathy coughed, causing her children to look at her. "Why don't you show Olivia the house?"

"Come on Liv," Eli grabbed her arm and walked inside with her. The four other children followed suit.

"So," Kathy began. "You and Olivia?"

"Are together," Elliot finished.

Kathy chuckled lightly under her breath. "I don't know why I'm surprised by that."

Elliot looked at her, confused. "We've been divorced for a while. You've been on dates, right?"

"Well of course. But none of them gave me five kids," Kathy said pointedly.

"Neither did Liv," Elliot responded. "Are you honestly mad?"

"Oh, no. I could care less. She's just a home-wrecking bitch, I should've known," Kathy laughed. "When you started calling in late, going in early… the signs all pointed to it."

"You're being ridiculous, Kathy. I'd never cheat on my wife. That's why we got divorced."

"You divorced me because of her?" Kathy asked, raising an eyebrow. "What a downgrade."

Elliot put his food down, angrily. "You're acting like a teenager! I didn't cheat on you, I waited quite a while to start a relationship with Olivia. Why are you getting so pissed?"

"I gave you five children. You can't stop loving someone who gave you that," Kathy said, bitterly. "I still love you, Elliot."

Elliot shook his head. "Kath, I do love you for the kids you gave me. I don't love you like I used to. Getting pregnant in high school forced us to be in a relationship that we weren't ready for. Our relationship wasn't healthy for us or for the kids, you know that. We got divorced because we weren't in love anymore."

"Are you in love with her?" Kathy asked.

"Yes," Elliot said, confidently.

"How about now?" Kathy asked, whispering. She walked up to Elliot and kissed him softly on the lips, pressing her tongue against his. Elliot grabbed her arms and pushed her off her.

"What are you fucking doing?" Elliot yelled.

Olivia stepped out on the patio and stood there, watching the scene unfold in front of her. All five kids stood behind her, scared of what was about to happen. Olivia crossed her arms across her chest and felt her eyes watering.

"Liv, she kissed him. You saw it," Maureen said, reassuring her.

"Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Olivia responded, a tear falling down her face.

"I'm kissing my ex husband because I still love him!" Kathy exclaimed. "You're not easy to move on from!"

Elliot shook his head angrily. "Fucking unreal, Kathy. I knew you were capable of doing some pretty low things, but not this. I regret coming here. You're ruining our sons birthday. How the hell do you feel right now? Heartless? Good."

Kathy's mouth fell open as Elliot brushed past her. He kissed all of his daughters on the forehead and hugged his songs after handing Eli his gift.

"Kiddo, I'm real sorry. Me and Liv are leaving. Sorry for ruining your birthday, I love you," Elliot said, anger laced in his voice.

"I understand," Eli sighed. "I'll see you next weekend."

Elliot's faced softened at his son's disappointed tone. "I'm so sorry."

"Dad, don't worry about it," Lizzie mumbled. "I think it'd be best if you took Liv home."

Elliot turned around to Olivia who was fuming. Kathy had a smirk on her face.

"You bitch," Olivia spat.

"Just wait," Kathy laughed. "Elliot won't be yours for long."

Olivia swallowed her words, holding back the anger inside. "Elliot, let's go." She stomped down the steps of the patio and walked angrily out of the backyard.

"I'll see you guys next weekend, okay? I love you all so much," Elliot said.

"Love you too dad," they all replied in unison. Kathy folded her arms in success and smiled at her children.

"Who wants cake?" She asked.

/-/

The ride back to the apartment was quiet and awkward. Olivia's hands were tightly clasped in her lap and Elliot's hands gripped the wheel so firmly that his knuckles were white. Soft romantic songs were playing from the radio as the car rolled down the streets. It came to a stop to their apartment complex and Elliot pulled the keys out of the car. The two walked out silently and entered their room after taking elevators to their floor.

As they entered their temporary home, Olivia turned on the lights. She went straight to the bathroom and stripped down after turning on her hot water. She closed her eyes after entering the shower and let the warm water run down her body. After five minutes of standing there, she felt two arms slip around her and a kiss was placed on her neck.

"I'm sorry," Elliot whispered, gently. "I really am."

Olivia sighed.

"Baby," Elliot said, shaky. He turned around and pressed her against the wall. Tears were evident in his eyes and Olivia's breath was taken away at how much emotion was being displayed.

"She kissed me, I know you saw her do it. I pushed her off, you have to believe me," Elliot begged, searching her eyes for an emotion.

"I do," Olivia whispered. "I do believe you."

Elliot let out a deep breath, "I'm so sorry, beautiful."

"Don't apologize," Olivia said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

"Kathy's is a psychotic bitch," Elliot said, angrily. "I don't love her."

"I know," Olivia responded. "She threatened me."

Elliot shook his head angrily. "She can't touch you with me here."

Olivia smiled and pressed her lips against Elliot's. "Sorry for being a bitch."

"Don't apologize," Elliot said, copying her previous words. "It wasn't your fault."

Olivia trailed her fingers down his defined body. "I love you, Stabler."

His hands rested on her waist and he kissed her neck. "I love you too."

After making sweet, wet love in the shower, Elliot and Olivia laid in bed. He was giving her a massage as she lay naked underneath him.

"This apartment is getting a bit too small, don't you think?" Elliot asked, trailing his fingers down her spine.

"Yes," Olivia mumbled into her pillow.

Elliot kissed her bare shoulder. "I was thinking we could buy a house together."

Olivia looked up at him from her current position and smiled. "I like that idea."

"Really?" Elliot said. "I don't want to rush you if you're not ready."

"I want to," Olivia said, closing her eyes. "I really do."

Elliot kissed her cheek gently. "I love you."

"I love you too," Olivia said. "Let's get some sleep; we need to look at houses tomorrow, right?"

"You're absolutely right," Elliot smiled. "Goodnight, beautiful."

"Goodnight," Olivia grinned and closed her eyes.

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><p><em>Eh, I'm sorta disappointed with this chapter :( Leave reviews!<em>


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey guys! After all the review I got last night, I started to form this chapter in my head before I went to sleep and couldn't wait to write it! Thank you for all the reviews on my last chapter. I hope you enjoy this one!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Olivia woke up the next morning and noticed that Elliot was still asleep. For once, she decided to get up and make him breakfast. She stretched and gave him a light kiss to the temple before slipping on his shirt. She got out of bed and made her way over to the kitchen where she began making eggs, bacon and coffee. There was something unusual about her today. She was humming as she cooked, a smile spread across her face. She felt awake, alive, in love and happy. As the eggs sizzled, Olivia peered over at Elliot who was snoring. She laughed at herself and set the table for breakfast. After placing the eggs and bacon on the plates and pouring coffee, she went back over to the bed. She jumped on it, purposely trying to wake Elliot.

"What time is it?" He groaned.

"Ten," Olivia smiled. "Come on, I made breakfast."

Elliot opened one eye and looked up at the beauty in front of him. "You didn't have to, Liv."

"Well I wanted to. You always make me breakfast, so I decided it was time to return the favor," Olivia said. She kissed him before hopping off the bed and walking into the kitchen. "Food's getting cold!" She called.

Elliot slipped on his boxers and smiled to himself. He couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten. He went from a marriage that was constantly falling apart to a relationship that was perfect. He sat across from Olivia and took a big sip of his coffee before digging into his eggs.

"Are we still on for house hunting today?" Elliot asked.

"I'm actually really excited," Olivia said. "I've always lived in an apartment or a really shitty house, with my mom I mean. I want something big, but not too big. I want it to look cozy and welcoming, you know?"

Elliot laughed. "Kathy had her eyes set on the house we lived in for a real long time; I was basically forced to live there. I'm glad we get to pick it out together."

"Me too," Olivia grinned and sipped her coffee. She cleaned up their plates and cups as Elliot started getting ready for the day. The bathroom door was open as he was shaving and Olivia was standing in front of her closet, trying to find something to wear.

"I like red," Elliot called. "Red looks sexy on you."

Olivia laughed. "We're looking for houses, El. Not places to have sex."

"But if we move in somewhere, we're going to have to break in the house, right?" Elliot asked, smirking.

"Maybe," Olivia said. She pulled out a red t-shirt that exposed just enough cleavage and paired it with dark jeans. She put on black flats and walked to the bathroom to get ready.

"Very nice," Elliot complimented. "Women have such great taste in clothes."

Olivia looked up at him after applying her face makeup. "Why thank you."

"Anytime gorgeous," Elliot winked. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to wear makeup?"

"A lot," Olivia replied, applying mascara. "It's not going to change the fact that I'm going to wear it."

Elliot sighed and kissed his lady on the top of her head before heading out to get changed. Olivia smiled and brushed her hair, deciding to leave it naturally today. She grabbed her purse, shut off the bathroom light and began making the bed.

"Ugh," Olivia said. "We really need to wash the sheets."

Elliot turned to look at her and started laughing at the tone of her voice. She sounded disgusted, yet proud. "Only you can make that statement sound so normal."

Olivia laughed. "I'm just great, what can I say Stabler?"

Elliot rolled his eyes and threw on a black t-shirt. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, are you?" Olivia asked.

Elliot nodded, grabbed Olivia's hand and off they went to the nearest realtor in upstate New York.

/-/

After meeting with their realtor, they began to drive around and look at their options. There were beautiful houses everywhere, some large ones, some small ones, some medium sized ones. Olivia just could not decide what she wanted.

"I'm sorry," Olivia apologized as they got in the car for their last house. "I'm being really picky. I'll be happy with anything."

Elliot shook his head. "I want this to be perfect, okay? We're going to have to raise kids in this house. It needs to be what you want."

"Hopefully this next house is good," Olivia sighed. "I don't want to look anymore."

"Hey," Elliot said, grabbing her hand. "We've got until forever."

Olivia smiled and the two followed the realtor to their last destination for the day. After arriving, Olivia's mouth fell open.

"I love it," She said, happily. "El, it's perfect! Let's go in."

Upon entering the house, Olivia's happiness increased. To their left was a spacious living room and to their right was a kitchen and a dining room. If you went straight, you'd find yourself in the hall way with a bathroom, a closet and a door to the already finished basement. There were stairs right when you entered the house, and after circling the whole downstairs, the three moved upstairs. There were three bedrooms, one master and two rooms fit for kids. Inside the master bedroom was a walk in closet and a bathroom with a tub and a shower. There was a bathroom across from the master bedroom, which Olivia assumed would be for their children.

"Can we see the basement?" Olivia asked.

"Of course!" Linda, their realtor, said. They walked downstairs and then went down into the basement. There was soft carpet on the floor with beautiful tan walls. It was the perfect place to hang out when company was over in the winter, or when their children would have friends over. Olivia's face was glowing and Elliot knew how much she wanted the house.

"And you said we could have this house by when?" Elliot asked.

"Once you pay, you can start moving in," Linda replied. "This house has been on the market for quite a while, we're looking to sell it. If you guys are ready to purchase it, we can head back now and get that settled."

"Do you like it?" Elliot asked Olivia. She nodded, a huge smile forming across her face.

"I love it."

"Great!" Linda exclaimed. "Let's get back and you can purchase it. You can move in probably within the next week or so, once the people who previously owned this house gather all of their stuff."

/-/

On their drive back to work, Elliot's phone began ringing. "Liv, can you get that?"

Olivia answered his phone. "Olivia speaking."

"Olivia?" Cragen's voice ran through the phone. "Do you think Elliot can stop by? We have an emergency case and we're going to need him for the night."

Olivia's face fell slightly at the thought of not seeing Elliot tonight. "Yeah, I'll let him know."

"Thanks," Cragen said, hanging up the phone.

"Who was it?" Elliot asked, glancing over at her.

"Cragen. He needs you to go in tonight because there's an emergency case."

Elliot sighed. "I don't want to."

"You need to, El. It's your job, I understand," Olivia said.

"You're the best," Elliot said, grabbing her hand and kissing it. "I'll drop you off at the apartment and then I'll head out."

Olivia nodded and rested her head on the window. The drive ended shortly after their conversation did and Elliot rolled down her window as she got out of the car.

"Do you want me to take you in?" Elliot asked.

Olivia shook her head. "I'm a big girl. Nothing's going to happen. Go to work, detective."

"I love you," Elliot said, sadly. "I wanted to be home tonight, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, go to work. I love you too," Olivia replied.

Elliot smiled and drove off.

As Olivia began walking into the apartment complex, she sighed. All she had wanted tonight was to lay down and cuddle with the love of her life. But his job was his job and she respected that. She entered the elevator and headed towards her door. She headed in and felt two hands grab her. Olivia opened her mouth to scream and was instantly punched in the stomach. Being a former detective, Olivia began to fight back, but suddenly found it hard to do so. The person who grabbed her twisted her arms back and had a firm grip on Olivia's hair. Olivia felt her head being slammed into the wall numerous times before she fell down weakly.

"Who won? Oh yeah, me."

Those words and a few kicks to the stomach were the last thing Olivia remembered.

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><p><em>Ooooooohhhhh! Cliffhanger :O I promised I hated them, but I just had to throw one in there. I have absolutely no plans for today, so the next chapter MIGHT be up tonight. Hope you enjoyed it, review please:)<em>


	8. Chapter 8

_It was a beautiful day to lay out and get all tan but I woke up and I said to myself, "it's Tuesday! SVU marathon." SVU being tan. That's what my life has come to... wow. Hahah, Dani Beck is in the episode I'm watching right now and I realllllllyyy hate it. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Review please! :)_

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><p>It was nearly four in the morning when Elliot arrived back at the apartment. He took the elevator up to his floor and tiredly walked to his room. He unlocked his door and his eyes widened as he saw Olivia's body laying unconscious on the floor by the couch. Her face was bruised, her hair was bloody, and her shirt was lifted up enough to expose bruises and blood on her stomach. Elliot rushed next to her side and looked for a pulse. His eyes filled with tears as he felt a faint pulse. After dialing 911 and Cragen, he let the tears flow down his face. He cradled her broken body to him and kissed her forehead repeatedly.<p>

"Please, don't leave me Olivia. I need you," Elliot cried. He felt so weak, like a little boy again. "I love you, please stay with me."

Olivia's eyes fluttered open and she breathed heavily. "El?"

"Baby," Elliot said, tears falling down his face. "Please hold on for me, please. Don't leave me."

"I love you," Olivia whispered before closing her eyes again. Her head dropped down and Elliot let out a sob. The police came soon after and took Olivia's body out on a stretcher. Elliot cried the whole way to the hospital, not once letting go of her hand.

He started thinking about her deeply. How beautiful she was, how lucky he was, how short their time together had been. The day they first met came into his mind. She was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen before, even more beautiful than his wife at the time. Her smile was radiant, and he quickly learned that it barely ever showed. Her personality was something unlike any other. She could be strong, but he soon learned her past had made her that way. He also learned that she hated to show her weakness, she hated to cry. He remembered the first time they shared an intimate hug. The way she felt small in his arms, and the way her hair smelt like vanilla. He loved everything about her, and he knew it when he first laid eyes on her. He couldn't lose her now; they had been together for only two months. Sure, he had always loved her, and she had always loved him, but being able to express it for two months just wasn't enough. He wiped his face, attempting to stop the tears from falling, but it didn't work. He loved Olivia, and he was terrified to lose her.

"I'm afraid you're not going to be able to come with us once we get to the hospital. We are going to take her straight into surgery, she's lost a lot of blood and has a few broken ribs," an EMT said.

"No," Elliot sobbed. "Don't take her from me."

"I'm sorry, Detective." The ambulance pulled to a stop and the EMTS pushed the stretcher into the emergency room. Elliot sat in the waiting room alone, crying. Cragen arrived shortly after Elliot had and sat next to the crying detective. This was the first time that Cragen had seen Elliot cry in the thirteen years he worked in the unit.

"She's gonna be okay," Don said, placing a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "She's strong, Elliot. You know that."

"Who the hell did this to her?" Elliot cried. "Who would ever want to-" he paused. "Kathy."

His captain's eyebrows rose. "You think Kathy did this?"

"I'm sure of it. That fucking bitch! I swear I'm going to kill her if I ever see her again," Elliot said, angrily.

After an hour of crying, Elliot stopped. He and his captain sat in silence as they waited for her doctor. Fin and Munch had arrived with Alex moments before the doctor came out.

"Olivia Benson?"

Elliot stood up and wiped his face. "How is she?"

"Are you her husband?" The doctor asked.

"I'm her boyfriend," Elliot asked. "Can I just know how she is?"

"I'd like to talk to you in private, if you don't mind."

Elliot shook his head and followed the doctor to an empty hallway.

"I'm Dr. Michaels," the doctor said, offering out his hand to shake.

"Detective Elliot Stabler," Elliot replied.

"Olivia is resting right now, we fixed everything that needed to be fixed and we stitched up her cuts. The wound on her head was very wide, but luckily it wasn't deep. We were able to stitch it up, but there is a bit of hair missing there. It's close enough to her forehead and a headband would cover it just fine once you can take the bandages off."

Elliot felt a tear roll down his face at the news. "Will she be okay?"

"She pulled through very well. I just have one question, Detective," Dr. Michaels said cautiously. "Were you and Mrs. Benson sexually active?" Elliot nodded. "How long have you two been sexually active?"

"Since the beginning of February," Elliot said, instantly. "Why?"

"Did you know she was pregnant?" Dr. Michaels asked, quietly.

Elliot looked down in shock. His eyes watered up instantly as he looked back up at the doctor and shook his head, no. "How far along is she?"

"She was four weeks. I'm afraid she lost the baby," Dr. Michaels replied, solemnly. "Do you think she had any knowledge of being pregnant?"

"No," Elliot whispered.

"I'll let you be the one to let her know then. I'm sure she'd rather hear it from the one she loves," Dr. Michaels said. "In about ten minutes you'll be able to visit her. She might not be awake, but if she is, you might want to wait a little while to bring that up. If you have any questions, just go to the front desk and ask for me."

"Thank you, Doctor," Elliot said, sadly. He turned around and walked back to where everyone else was. He barely made it to a chair without breaking down and crying. Alex was the first one to give him a comforting hug.

"What's the verdict?" Alex asked, tears brimming her eyes.

"She's all stitched up and they fixed her ribs," Elliot said, breathing deeply. "She had a cut on her head and she's missing some hair now because they had to put stitches in."

"What else?" Munch asked. "There's something you're not telling us."

"She was pregnant," Elliot hunched over, buried his head in his hands and sobbed. Fin placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. The members of their close family were silent, except for Elliot's cries. "I need to see her," he choked out. He stood up quickly and walked to the front desk, asking for her room number.

"I'm sorry sir, but she's still getting situated. They need another five minutes or so," the receptionist said.

"I don't give a damn!" Elliot hollered. "Let me fucking see her."

Fin went up behind him and grabbed his arm, "Elliot, lay off."

"Don't touch me," Elliot said angrily. He glared at Fin and turned back to the lady behind the desk, who was clearly tired of everybody's bullshit.

"If you don't calm down, I'm going to call the cops and have you arrested."

"I'm a fucking cop," Elliot said, lowly. "Let me see her."

The receptionist lowered her glasses as he showed her his badge angrily. "Room 211. Go down this hallway, make a left. Third door on your right."

"Thank you," Elliot said, quietly. He walked slowly to the room, dreading the sight that he was about to see. Fin, Munch, Cragen and Alex all followed behind him. Elliot stood in front of the third door and felt himself tearing up again. He opened the door and closed it behind him, wanting privacy with his girlfriend. She looked peaceful at the moment, her eyes were closed and her hands were rested on her stomach. He noticed the white bandage on her forehead, and saw the stitches under her eye. He pulled up a chair next to her and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly to her. He began crying as he laid his head down on her hospital bed. He repeated the words, I love you, please wake up, over and over. He felt a hand run over the hair on his head.

"El," a soft voice croaked. "What happened?"

Elliot looked up and saw Olivia's tired eyes looking at him. He picked her hand up to his lips and kissed each individual finger lovingly. "I came home from work and you were laying by the couch unconscious and bleeding. Do you remember anything?"

Olivia closed her eyes, the memories coming back to her. "Someone grabbed me when I was walking in," she said, hoarsely. "I tried to fight back, I swear I did, but they punched me, kicked me, hit my head on our wall… I'm sorry."

"Baby," Elliot murmured, stroking her bruised cheek. "This isn't your fault; I want you to know that. Do you know who did it?"

She shook her head slowly, not wanting to cause any pain. A tear rolled down her face. "I couldn't tell."

"Liv," Elliot sighed. "I think it was Kathy."

"I believe it," She whispered. "What did the doctor say?"

Elliot looked away, feeling his eyes water. "You're going to be fine. You lost a little bit of hair where you have stitches on your head, but they said it's close enough for a head band to cover it once it's healed."

"Oh great," Olivia groaned. "What else? I know there's something you're not telling me."

"Can everyone come see you before I tell you? I don't want your mood to go down. Everyone's here, they want to make sure you're okay," Elliot bargained. He truthfully had no idea how to tell her.

"Sure," Olivia said, resting her head back. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her belly again.

Elliot walked out of the room and squeezed his eyes closed. "How do I tell her?"

"You just need to," Alex said. "Olivia's strong. She'll close herself off, but she'll come around."

"She wants to see you guys," Elliot said. "I'll wait out here."

"Chances are she's going to want you in there," Cragen pointed out. "You should come."

Elliot nodded and came into the room, heading over to Olivia's bedside. "Babe?"

"Hmm?" She mumbled, not opening her eyes.

"Everyone's here," Elliot whispered, holding her hand in his.

Olivia opened her eyes and smiled weakly. "Hey everyone."

"Girl what the hell did you do to Kathy to make her hate you this much?" Fin asked, trying to lighten the mood. "We all know you're way more gorgeous but…"

Olivia laughed lightly. "I don't know."

"Are you okay?" Cragen asked, his over-protective father figure side showed. "If you need anything, you just give any of us a call and we'll be there."

"Seriously Olivia, you know that we don't want anyone beating up the only girl strong enough to stay in our unit," Munch said.

"Screw them," Alex said, attempting yet again to lighten the mood. "Once you're recovered, we'll go shopping for hair accessories, okay?"

"Thanks," Olivia said. "What time is it?"

"It's about 6:30," Fin said. "We're all crazy and here for you, baby girl."

"Please go home everyone; I'll be here when you wake up. Please get some sleep," Olivia begged.

"Are you sure?" Munch asked. Olivia nodded and closed her eyes.

"I'm real tired," she mumbled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The group of concerned friends left her room and Olivia opened her eyes again to look into Elliot's bright blue ones.

"Please tell me," Olivia whispered.

"I don't want to hurt you," Elliot said, just as softly. He cupped her cheek in his hand and stroked it softly. "Please, don't leave me and don't shut me out once I tell you." Olivia nodded, promising silently. "Please don't think this is your fault, you did nothing wrong. Okay?"

"El, just tell me."

"You were four weeks pregnant, but due to the kicking to the stomach, you," Elliot choked back a sob. "You lost the baby."

Olivia pulled her face out of Elliot's hand and looked away as she felt herself starting to cry. She felt herself crumble to pieces as her shoulders slouched. Elliot pulled her into him and rocked her back and forth.

"This isn't your fault, Liv. I love you, and I'm not leaving you. I'm going to help you get through this, I promise," Elliot whispered into her ear. He kissed her cheek tenderly and held the crying love of his life in his arms as both of their hearts broke.

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><p><em>Is anyone shocked? Review!<em>


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey everyone! I'm leaving tomorrow to go camping for 4 days, so I decided to give you an update. There are pictures of certain things on my profile, so after reading the chapter you should take a look. Review please!:)_

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><p>It was raining the day Olivia was able to leave the hospital. Without going unnoticed by Elliot, she began to shut herself out from the world. She would barely talk when he visited her and she always looked like she was about to cry. Unknown to Olivia, for the two weeks that she was gone, Elliot was moving stuff from the apartment to their new home. Hoping to bring a smile to her face, Elliot was taking her to their real home today. With help from Fin and Munch, the house was almost fully furnished and decorated.<p>

Elliot had a bouquet of flowers in his hand for Olivia as he knocked on her hospital door. He heard her voice lightly call out, come in. He walked in with a smile on his face, seeing her dressed with her hair done. There was a blue headband over her bandage on her forehead, but she still looked beautiful.

"Hey baby," Elliot smiled, handing her the flowers. "How do you feel today?"

Olivia smiled at the flowers. "Thank you for the flowers, El. I feel better; I just want to go home."

"We're going home, I promise," Elliot said, offering out his hand. "Shall we go?"

Olivia took his hand and intertwined her fingers with him, slowly standing up. She felt a pain go through her side and she winced.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Not used to walking."

"Take your time," Elliot said. "We have all the time in the world."

Olivia looked up at him and smiled lightly. Her normally bright eyes have been dark for two weeks, and that killed Elliot. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, but he knew that was impossible. His pregnancies with Kathy were smooth and flawless until Eli's birth, and he never had to deal with losing a child. He wanted to reach out and help Olivia, but her walls were back up and he had to break them down again. They checked out of the hospital and walked to their car, Elliot not once letting go of her hand. Once he helped her into the car, he got in on his side and turned to look at her.

"Can you look at me?" Elliot asked.

Olivia turned and looked at him, resting her head on the headrest.

"I love you," Elliot told her.

Olivia weakly smiled. "I love you too, Elliot."

The car ride home was quiet except for the rain that splattered the roof and windows. Olivia had fallen asleep quickly into the ride home; she was physically and emotionally exhausted. Elliot glanced over at her every few minutes to make sure that she wasn't hurting or in pain. He looked over at her again and her eyes were fluttering open.

"Where are we?" Olivia asked, observing her surroundings. They were in a development no where near their apartment complex.

Elliot turned right into a driveway and stopped the car. "We're home, Liv."

Olivia looked at him and a real smile appeared on her face. Elliot grinned and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek before helping her out of the car.

"How did you do this?" She asked, carefully walking up their driveway.

"I had a bit of help from the guys at work. We had Alex help us if we needed help for a girl type of thing. I hope you like it; I really wanted to make you happy. I know you've been upset lately, and I just want to see you smile again," Elliot admitted, brushing hair out of her face. "Want to go in?"

Olivia nodded, and for the first time in two weeks she felt content. Elliot unlocked their front door and the smell of a new house instantly filled her nose. She walked into the kitchen and saw fresh appliances, shiny and new. There was a refrigerator with food inside and cabinets with snacks. She ran her fingers over the dark cherry wood table when she entered their dining room. Above the dining room table there was a beautiful chandelier, and on a wall there was Olivia's police badge framed. She smiled as she went into the living room and saw a picture of their squad framed above the television. The television itself was a large flat screen, and parallel to it was a light brown couch with a coffee table in front.

"El, it's wonderful," whispered Olivia. "Can we go upstairs?" He nodded and followed her up their newly polished stairs. She looked in the bathroom across from the master bedroom first. The walls were yellow and had a beautiful beach theme to it. She began walking towards the master bedroom but stopped when she looked into what would have been her child's room. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she turned to hug Elliot. He held her tightly to him as she cried into his chest.

"I'm so sorry," Olivia sobbed. "I lost our child."

Elliot shook his head no and rocked her back and forth. "No, Liv. It's not your fault, you didn't lose her. You didn't even know about her. You cannot possibly blame yourself. Please stop." Elliot felt himself getting choked up and he kissed her on the top of your head. "Please believe me." The two stood there for a while, just crying for the loss of their unborn child. Olivia had crumbled down to the floor and the two were now sitting down on their upper level, crying. Neither of the two realized how much time had passed before Olivia had stopped crying. She pulled her head off of Elliot's shoulder and wiped her itchy, tear-stained face.

"I'm sorry," Olivia apologized. She reached up to wipe Elliot's face.

"It's okay," Elliot said gently. He bent down and kissed Olivia gently, pulling her face towards his by cupping her cheek in his hand. When he pulled away, he rested his nose against hers. "You're the most beautiful girl I've laid eyes on; I hate seeing you cry."

Olivia let out a hiccup and laughed softly. "Can we see our bedroom?'

"Anything for you," Elliot smiled at her and kissed her on her nose. He stood up and offered out his hands to pull her up. She took a deep breath and walked towards their master bedroom. She turned the door knob and gasped. The walls were a very light color with a dark trim. There was king sized bed in the middle of the room with a dark chocolate colored rug in front of it. There was a TV across from their bed and a small couch in the corner by the windows. Above their bed was a collage of pictures of them from their years as a detective.

"El, it's beautiful," Olivia whispered.

"Do you really like it? I spent a lot of time on this room," He admitted. "I wanted it to be perfect."

"It's perfect," Olivia said. "I love it so much." She turned around and kissed him passionately. "I love you, thank you so much."

Elliot smiled, "I love you too, and you're welcome." He knelt down on the soft carpet and grabbed Olivia's hand. He looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. "After everything that has happened between us, the thirteen years of being partners and these wonderful months of being together, we've gone through a lot. All of these troubles and joyous moments and fights make us stronger. They also make me realize how much I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Olivia. There is no one in this world who can make me happier than you. I can't imagine waking up to anyone else but you. The second I met you I knew that, and I was with Kathy. I'm going to be here for you through everything, Olivia, and I want you to know that."

"El," Olivia started.

"No, Liv. Let me finish. You're known to shut people out and it hurts when you do that to me. I am willing to push and push until your walls crack and crumble and you feel safe with me. I want to protect you from every storm that comes our way, literal or not. I want to create a family with you, I want to raise our kids to be tough like we are. I want to grow old with you so that we're grandparents that can spoil our grandkids the same way we will spoil our kids. Olivia Jean Benson, will you please make me the happiest man alive and marry me?" Elliot asked, tears forming his eyes.

"Yes," Olivia said, nodding her head. A watery smile came onto her face as Elliot picked her up and spun her around in his arms. She wrapped his legs around his waist and kissed him deeply, savoring his taste. She pulled away when he laid her down on the bed. "The ring?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Elliot chuckled and pulled the ring out of his pocket. Olivia's eyes widened at the beautiful white gold ring in front of her. She slid it on her ring finger and kissed him happily.

"So how about we break in the bed?" Elliot winked, hovering over her.

Olivia laughed and kissed him, starting their tiring night.

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><p><em>Yayyyy, finally engaged! Review please :)<em>


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